Elizabeth Martin Barker's Obituary
Elizabeth (“Betty”) Martin Barker died at her home on Wednesday, December 14, 2016, after a long illness. She was 86 years old.Betty was born in Memphis, Tennessee in November of 1930 and was the daughter of Percy B. Martin, a farmer, and Nettie Radford Martin, a nurse. She primarily lived on their farm in Snow Lake, Arkansas, but while attending The Hutchison School in Memphis, she resided on Court Avenue in midtown with Jim and Ellen Powell, her aunt and uncle. Betty attended the former Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College, where she was a member of Chi Omega sorority and graduated in 1953. Betty always remained very close with her Southwestern community of friends until the very end of her life.In her younger days, Betty often enthusiastically served as a substitute school teacher. To support her family, she worked as a successful real estate agent for a substantial part of her life in addition to being a small business owner. As a parishioner of Church of the Holy Communion in Memphis, member of the Church Guild, a Sustainer at LeBonheur Hospital, an active member of the Little Glass Club and several garden clubs, Betty enriched the lives of others around her. Betty is remembered for her determined and unwavering loyalty to family and friends, and for her generous and caring nature. Moreover, she was known for keeping many sorts of pet animals over the years as well as possessing a keen interest in flowers and hummingbirds.Betty and C.A. “Bud” Barker married in the late 1980’s and enjoyed life to the fullest with much laughter, travel and good times together. They cherished each other.One of Betty’s favorite activities later in life was visiting with her neighbors during happy hour on the front lawn of her home. She was a resident of the same East Memphis neighborhood for over 45 years and thought of her neighbors as family.Her late older brothers, William Martin and James Martin, were constant figures of stability in Betty’s life, and she loved them and their families very much.Betty is survived by her three children and their spouses, including Martin Daniel (Melissa) of Knoxville, and Margaret Stokes (Robert) and Matthew Daniel (Paula), both of Memphis, as well as five grandchildren: Ellen Mitchell, Baty Daniel, Claire Daniel, Sophie Daniel, and Matthew Daniel. Of course, and most importantly, Betty leaves “Dingo”, her beloved toy Australian Shepherd.Betty’s family would like to express deep gratitude for the caregivers and others who surrounded and supported her: Terri, Eva, Kenny, Ken, Sylvia, Dorothy, Jasmine, Verna, Kwana, Samantha, Shun, Evelyn, and CC. Their kindness, caring attitudes, thoughtfulness and rich personalities provided companionship and true comfort in the latter part of Betty’s life.A memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 17, 2016, 1:00 p.m. at Church of the Holy Communion, 4645 Walnut Grove Road, Memphis, TN 38117. Visitation will take place at noon in the Cheney Parish Hall at the Church. A reception for all will be held at Betty’s home immediately after the service.In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, attn: Kimberly Galberaith, 401 Hackensack Avenue, 9th Floor, Hackensack, NJ 07601.Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Ave., Memphis TN 38119. (901) 767-8930. “Celebrating Life….Behind the Stone Wall.”
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